SPRINGFIELD – With the increase of cashless tolls in Illinois, State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) advanced a proposal that offers protection for rental car drivers. After returning a rental car, many drivers may be surprised to find they were charged additional fees for a tollway collection device, similar to an I-PASS. Stadelman advanced a proposal through the Illinois Senate this week to allow rental car drivers to opt out of these devices.

“Drivers deserve to be aware of the option to use these costly tollway devices up front, instead of finding out about these costly fees later,” Stadelman said.

Under Stadelman’s proposal, rental car companies must provide renters the option of using the tollway collection device. If a company fails to offer a customer the ability to opt-out, the fees are capped at $2 per day that the device is used, in addition to the cost of the tolls.

“Many drivers are unaware they can avoid paying these fees by using their own transponders, paying cash or paying the fees online,” Stadelman said. “Informing them they have the option to opt out will help them make the most financially beneficial decision.”

Stadelman’s proposal, Senate Bill 2522, passed through the Illinois Senate with a vote of 49-0. It will now head to the Illinois House of Representatives.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) passed legislation through the Illinois Senate to prevent privately-owned websites from charging a fee to remove mugshots and other outdated information.

These websites, which claim to operate as background checks, frequently charge thousands of dollars to remove the information, even if the record has been expunged, sealed or dismissed. In some cases, the website refused to remove the information even after the individual was acquitted.

“Forcing people to pay thousands of dollars to remove wrong information from a private website is wrong,” Stadelman said. “Many of these people have had their records sealed or expunged, or even had their case dismissed. It’s time to stop these private website owners from taking advantage of them."

In many cases, individuals weren’t even aware their information was listed on the website until they were denied a job opportunity.

Stadelman’s proposal, Senate Bill 2560, passed through the Illinois Senate with a vote of 52-2. It is now in the Illinois House of Representatives.

SPRINGFIELD – In many school districts, students who are unable to pay for lunch can be stigmatized with a special wristband or handstamp, and in some cases – even denied lunch.

To stop this practice known as “lunch shaming” in Illinois, State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) passed Senate Bill 2428 through the Illinois Senate.

“Forcing students to go without lunch is punishing them for the mistakes of their parents,” Stadelman said. “All students, regardless of their parents status or income level, deserve to have a hot lunch.”

Under Stadelman’s proposal, every school will be required to provide a meal to a student that requests one. While the school can contact the parents directly to request they pay for the child’s lunch, they are prevented from throwing the meal out, forcing the student to wear a wristband or otherwise stigmatizing them. If the school district is owed $500 by a student’s parents and they have made a reasonable effort to collect the debt, the district can request the Illinois Comptroller withhold tax refunds from parents to pay off the debt. “As a state, we can’t force students to sit through class hungry and expect them to learn,” Stadelman said. “This plan ensures all students will be given an opportunity to succeed instead of being forced to learn on an empty stomach.”

The proposal passed through the Illinois Senate with a vote of 41-9-1. It will now head to the Illinois House of Representatives for consideration.

Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara joined State Senator Steve Stadelman in the Illinois Senate Revenue Committee to testify in support of legislation to making investing in downtown Rockford easier for developers. Senate Bill 3527, introduced by Stadelman, adjusts River Edge Zones in Rockford, Aurora, East St. Louis, Elgin and Peoria to provide additional incentives for redeveloping these communities.

“These tax credits have a proven record of spurring economic growth in areas like downtown Rockford,” Stadelman said. “These additional changes will promote even more economic development in our communities.”

Under Stadelman’s proposal, developers would be eligible for a one-time 25 percent credit of the eligible expenses of the project. They would also be subject to additional oversight to ensure they qualify for the tax credits.Stadelman's bill will now be heard by the Illinois House of Representatives, having been approved by the full Senate this week.

Stadelman proposal to educate students on college debt advances

College students would be able to make more informed decisions about financing their education under a measure State Senator Steve Stadelman passed this week. Stadelman’s proposal, Senate Bill 2559, creates a three-year pilot program that requires each public university and community college to send an annual letter detailing the current loan and annual repayment amounts to all students with college loans.

“Every year, thousands of Illinois students graduate from college and are faced with tens of thousands of dollars in student loans. For many of these students, it’s the first time they completely realize the full expense of their education,” Stadelman said. “This proposal ensures students know up-front how much they will owe and gives them the information to make smart financial decisions early to save money in the long run.”

Student loan debt in the United States has skyrocketed from $833 billion to an all-time high of $1.4 trillion, according to recent studies. On average, college students graduate with more than $34,000 in debt, up 62 percent in the last decade.In 2012, Indiana University began sending new and returning students a letter projecting the amount of debt they were expected to graduate with, along with what their monthly payments would be. After implementing this system, the university saw a decline in the amount of education loans taken out by students. The state of Indiana passed a similar law to cover all state universities and community colleges in 2015.

Stadelman’s bill passed the full Senate with a vote of 51-1. It will now move to be heard in the Illinois House of Representatives.

Stadelman delivers state honors for RAMI winners

For a fourth consecutive year, State Senator Steve Stadelman awarded Certificates of Recognition from the Illinois Senate to recipients of the annual Rockford Area Music Industry awards. Stadelman also presented RAMIs in the People's Choice category for Special Event and Artist of the Year, the later going to the band On My Six, whose members -- Stu Kuhlman, Rick Soeprasetyo, Joshua Creviston, Daniel Adams and Lucas Dwyer -- are pictured with Stadelman backstage.